A review by erinbarton
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

slightly disappointed as i thought this was going to be a book i would really love, having seen it compared numerous times to american psycho and hannibal. the narrative device of a character recounting their story from prison is never one that i enjoy and to me the sections talking about her present day in prison disrupted the pacing and were slightly tedious. 
the sections depicting the actual murders were my favourite, and the sensory descriptions of the food throughout the book were delicious even when closely followed by graphic depictions of cannibalism. 
i really enjoyed the concept, main character, and writing style however i wish a linear narrative and more condensed timeline were used to create more momentum for the story - seeing dorothy’s murders become more elaborate and unhinged as she tries to suppress these urges and becomes increasingly paranoid would have heightened the pace and tension.
overall, i still really enjoyed a certain hunger and would love to read more from chelsea g summers
Expand filter menu Content Warnings